Natural History Wanderings

It may be July but the Bay Area wildflower season is not over.  It is still going strong at Abbotts Lagoon.

We hiked out to the lagoon, went just over the bridge to the beginning of the dunes and then went up to the bluff  just before the bridge and continued a short distance along the fence  and managed to identify over 60 species today. The most flowery areas were along the boardwalk on the trail and at the edge of the bluff overlooking the ocean.   It was a bright foggy day  creating good light for wildflower photography.

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Click Read More for a detailed plant list and more information on visiting Pt. Reyes.

ABBOTTS LAGOON Plant list for July 10, 2010

This list comes from the Marin CNPS list for Abbott’s Lagoon which can be found at the following link: (http://www.marin.edu/cnps/ABBOTTS_LAGOON_PUBLIC_TRAIL2009.html).  I have only listed the plants I was able to identify (with much assistance) .  All errors are mine.  Includes off-trail area to North of the trail as far as edge of the freshwater lagoon, the sand-dunes and the bluffs to the S. of the bridge. This ridge to the East of, and overlooking, the brackish lagoon, is especially rich in coastal wildflowers in April and May.  List 1B plants are rare, threatened or endangered species, decimal additions are more recent clarifications of the estimated degree of rarity, 1B.1 being the rarest.    Alien species, or weeds, are marked  *.  All other plants are Californian natives.

ANACARDIACEAE (SUMAC FAMILY)
Toxicodendron diversilobum            Poison Oak

APIACEAE/UMBELLIFERAE (PARSLEY FAMILY)
Angelica hendersonii                        Coastal Angelica
Conium maculatum                            Poison Hemlock            *
Heracleum maximum                        Cow Parsnip

ASTERACEAE/COMPOSITAE (SUNFLOWER/COMPOSITE FAMILY)
Achillea millefolium                                     Yarrow
Agoseris apargioides                         Seaside Dandelion
Anaphalis margaritacea                        Pearly Everlasting            *
Artemisia pycnocephala                        Beach Sagebrush
Baccharis pilularis var. pilularis         Coyote Brush
Carduus pyncocephalus                            Italian Thistle                   *
Centromadia corymbosa                         Tarweed
Cirsium occidentale var. occidentale            Cobweb Thistle
Cirsium quercetorum                                Brownie Thistle            *
Cirsium vulgare                                          Bull Thistle                    *
Eriophyllum staechadifolium                       Lizard Tail
Erigeron foliosus var. franciscanus            Bay Area Leafy Daisy
Erigeron glaucus                                               Seaside Daisy
Eriophyllum lanatum var. arachnoideum            Woolly Daisy
Eriophyllum staechadifolium             Lizard Tail
Gnaphalium palustre                        Marsh Cudweed
Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla            Dune Gumplant
Lasthenia californica                        Gold Fields

BRASSICACEAE/CRUCIFERAE (MUSTARD FAMILY)
Brassica rapa                                    Field Mustard            *
Cakile maritima                                 Sea Rocket            *
Raphanus sativus/ R. raphanistrum            Wild Radish            *

CARYOPHYLLACEAE (PINK FAMILY)
Cerastium spp.                                     Chickweed            *
Silene scouleri ssp grandis               Pink–flowered Catchfly            *
Stellaria media                                     Common  Chickweed                 *

CONVOLVULACEAE (MORNING-GLORY FAMILY)
Calystegia purpurata ssp. purpurata            Trailing Morning-glory

CRASSULACEAE (STONE-CROP FAMILY)
Dudleya farinosa                                    Sea-bluff-lettuce

FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (PEA FAMILY)
Lathyrus latifolius                                Everylasting Pea
Lotus scoparius                                    Deer-weed (prostrate form on dunes)
Lupinus arboreus                                 Yellow Bush Lupine
Lupinus bicolor                                    Coastal form Annual Lupine

GENTIANACEAE (GENTIAN FAMILY)
Gentiana affinis var. ovata                        Coastal Gentian

LAMIACEAE/LABIATAE (MINT FAMILY)
Mentha (canadensis) arvensis            Field Mint
Monardella undulata var. undulata            Curly-leaved Monardella            LIST4.2
Monardella villosa var. franciscana            Franciscan Pennyroyal
Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata            Large-flowered Self-heal
Stachys ajugoides var.  ajugoides            Marsh Hedge-nettle
Stachys ajugoides var.  rigida            Dryland Hedge-nettle

LILIACEAE (LILY FAMILY)
Chlorogalum pomeridianum                   Soap Plant
Triteleia laxa                                                Ithuriel’s Spear

MALVACEAE (MALLOW FAMILY)
Sidalcea calycosa ssp. rhizomata            Pt. Reyes Marsh Checkerbloom            LIST1B.1

NYCTAGINACEAE (FOUR O’CLOCK FAMILY)
Abronia latifolia            Yellow Sand-verbena

ONAGRACEAE (EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY
Camissonia cheiranthifolia                        Beach Suncup
Clarkia davyi                                                Small-flowered Clarkia
Epilobium ciliatum var. watsonii            Marsh Willow-herb

PAPAVERACEAE (POPPY FAMILY)
Eschscholzia californica                        California Poppy, coastal yellow

POACEAE/GRAMINEAE (GRASS FAMILY)
Briza spp.                                                Rattlesnake Grass            *

POLEMONIACEAE (GILIA/ PHLOX FAMILY)
Leptosiphon parviflorus var. rosaceus            Rosy Linanthus            LIST1B.1?
Navarretia squarrosa                        Skunkweed

POLYGONACEAE (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY)
Chorizanthe cuspidata
Eriogonum latifolium                        Coast Buckwheat
Persicaria amphibia var. emersa   Pink Aquatic Knotweed
Rumex crispus                                    Curly Dock

PORTULACEAE (PURSLANE FAMILY)
Claytonia sibirica                                    Candy Flower

POTAMOGETONACEAE (PONDWEED FAMILY)
Potamogeton nodosus                        Broad-leaved Pondweed

PRIMULACEAE (PRIMROSE FAMILY)
Anagallis arvensis                                    Scarlet Pimpernel            *

RANUNCULACEAE (BUTTERCUP/CROWFOOT FAMILY)
Ranunculus orthorhynchus var. orthorhyncus            Large Marsh-buttercup

ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY)
Rubus ursinus                                    California Blackberry

SCROPHULARIACEAE (FIGWORT FAMILY)
Castilleja exerta ssp. latifolia            Central Coast form Showy Owl’s Clover
Mimulus moschatus                             Musk Monkey-flower
Mimulus guttatus                                   Monkey-flower

SOLANACEAE (NIGHTSHADE FAMILY)
Solanum americanum                         Black-berried Nightshade

For more information on Pt. Reyes and Abbotts Lagoon click on this list:  Pt. Reyes Posts on Natural History Wanderings